'Well, this is new.' Harry thought as he passed through the barrier of Platform 93/4. Instead of the usual near mob of students and parents milling about the platform in a chaotic fashion, there was a great deal more order.

First off, no parent was present, only students and soldiers clad in black, muggle-style armor. The students had been organized into seven separate lines, by year it looked like. Each line started near the entrance to the platform and ended in front of a tall free- standing metal arch. Next to each arch was a metal-framed, fabric-walled bin and an armed soldier. On the other side of the arch was a large device that looked to be part computer, part camera and part copy machine. A second soldier stood by the device.

The students were passing through the arches one at a time, having any magical item they were carrying taken from them, placed in labeled plastic bags and dumped into the bin. They were then directed to stand before the camera/computer/copy machine while the soldier manning it pressed a series of buttons. Seconds later a small card was ejected from the machine. The soldier then pulled a thin chain from a box on the machine, and attached the chain to the card before handing it to the student, who then entered the train.

"What the bloody hell happened here?" Ron cried as he passed though the barrier and saw the changes.

Harry rolled his eyes at Ron's reaction. "Dunno."

"These must be the security changes that Dumbledore mentioned." Arthur Weasley said. "I thought he meant more Aurors, but this looks interesting.

As Ginny and Hermione passed through the barrier, a soldier stepped up to the group. "No parents allowed on the platform, sir." The soldier said, his voice sounding cold and robotic. "I am authorized to use any force I deem necessary to enforce my orders."

Arthur gulped nervously and nodded. He turned to the kids, bid them good-bye and apparated away.

After Arthur had left, the soldier spoke again. "Sixth years in that line, Fifth years in that line."

The group trunks were loaded onto a trolley and wheeled away as Harry and his friends moved into their designated lines.

Hermione was the first to pass through the arch. The soldier by the arch looked at a screen mounted on the side and said. "Please hand over your wand and dictation quill. They will be returned to you upon your arrival at your destination."

Ron went through next and had his wand, a bulging bag of dung bombs and a bottle of U-No-Poo taken.

Just before Harry took his turn through the arch, he saw Ginny go through the one to his left and have her wand, a diary and a small package wrapped in brown paper taken.

When he passed through the arch, Harry heard a small buzzing sound and was told to hand over his wand and invisibility cloak, which he did with great reluctance.

Harry was then directed to stand in front of the camera/computer/copy machine.

"Place your right thumb on the glass plate." The soldier operating the machine said. "And look directly into the camera."

Harry did so and felt a slight pinch on his thumb. The machine hummed softly and a card that resembled a driver's license was ejected from the machine.

The soldier picked up the card, attached a chain to it and handed the card to Harry. "This is your Identification key-card. Keep it with you at all times."

Harry took the card and slipped the chain around his neck before entering the train.

As Harry drew near the compartment that his friends had taken he could hear Ron complaining loudly. "I don't understand why they took my dung bombs and my U-No-Poo."

Harry sighed and rubbed his eyes. After spending a month at the Burrow, having to put up with Ron and Ginny's near constant childish, immature behavior, Harry did not feel like being in the same compartment as those two if they were going to continue to be so immature.

He noticed that Luna was alone in the next compartment and felt a sudden pull to join her.

Luna looked up from a magazine that she was reading when she heard the compartment door slide open and smiled at Harry. "Hello Harry."

"Hello Luna, did you have a good summer?"

Luna nodded her eyes, Harry noticed, grew unfocused and she shivered slightly. "It was very nice even though daddy and I failed to find a Crumple-horned Snorkack."

"That's good," Harry said as he sat down across from her. "About summer, I mean, not about you not finding a Snorkack."

"Thank you Harry." Luna smiled again, and Harry felt a jolt of pleasure at the sight of her smile

Before Harry could say anything the door slid open and Neville stood in the doorway. "Do you mind if I sit in here?"

"Go right a head." Harry replied.

"Thanks." Neville said and sat down next to Harry.

The train jerked into motion and began steaming out of the station.

"Oh," Harry said suddenly after two hours. "Do you still have your D.A. coins? I was thinking of starting it up again."

"I have mine right here." Neville said as he pulled his coin from his pocket. Neville was a bit to enthusiastic in removing his coin and it slipped from his fingers and rolled under the seat on Luna's side.

"I'll get it." Luna said just as Neville stood up. She quickly crawled halfway under the bench.

"I'm afraid I can't let you leave, Uncle Vernon. You and I have a great deal of business to attend to." The man waved his hand and Vernon felt a slight static shock run through his body.

"There, now we won't be interrupted while we have our fun." The man stood up and drew a wicked looking knife and an equally wicked looking grin on his lips.

Vernon whimpered in fear as the man advanced on him. "T-the police will know that I was murdered!"

The man paused. "Do you know something about violent suicides and deaths, like jumping off a building?"

After a minute of silence the man continued. "The body is so messed up after such a death that it's hard to tell just what injuries existed before the person died."

The man stepped close to Vernon and waved the knife blade under his nose. Vernon noticed that it was stained with blood. "After all, the cops won't be able to tell that Petunia had her throat and belly slit before her car crashed into a wall and then burst into flame. And they won't be able to tell that nearly every single one of Dudley's bones had been broken before he fell in front of that speeding subway train. And they won't figure out that you were dead before you landed on that lovely company car you're so proud of, which you happen to have parked right out in front of your office building.

Feel free to scream if it makes you feel any better. Dudders sure did."

SCENCECHANGESCENECHANGE

'Thank God for the invention of jeans.' Harry thought as he followed Luna out of the train, his eyes locked on her backside.

"What the bloody hell happened to Hogwarts?"

Harry was jolted out of his through examination of Luna's anatomy by Ron's loud outcry. When he looked up, Harry could see the cause of Ron's outburst.

Hogwarts had undergone massive changes. A tall chain link fence, topped with coils of razor wire, had been erected around the original perimeter of Hogwarts grounds. Tall towers, with spotlights and muggle gun emplacements were spaced every thirty feet along the fence. The forest, which had grown right up to where the fence now stood had been cut down and burned back over three hundred yards. A large platform, with planes and helicopters at one end, stretched across a portion of the Great Lake. A similar platform rested atop the Hospital tower.

Where the original gates once stood was now a large tracked chain-linked gate. At the side of the gate was a guard shack, manned by two black armored soldiers.

More changes had been made to the grounds themselves. Flood-lights, mounted strategically on the castle and on towers around the grounds, completely illuminated the grounds. Several new buildings had been erected as well.

Ginny's smile dropped, she huffed in annoyance and stomped off towards a Thestral drawn carriage, pulling Dean with her.

Harry watched Ginny storm away for a second before turning to Luna. "Let's find a carriage."

"I'll lead the way. I know how much you enjoy the view." Luna said with a wink.

Harry felt his cheeks grow hot. "I, um, I mean."

Luna smiled as he tried to babble an apology. "I am not mad, Harry. I enjoy that you enjoy looking at me that way."

She turned around and walked towards the line of carriages, exaggerating the swing of her hips slightly.

Harry swallowed against a suddenly very dry throat. 'Interesting girl.'

SCENCECHANGESCENECHANGE

"Why were you hanging out with Loony Lovegood?" Ron asked while he and Harry waited for the sorting to begin.

"Because I like to be around her, Weasel." Harry snapped, deliberately using the nickname that Ron hated the most.

Ron flushed with anger and opened his mouth to retort.

"Every time you call her Loony, I call you Weasel." Harry said coldly.

Any further discussion was prevented by a tall, dark haired soldier standing up from the head table. "Attention students!" The man said loudly. " Changes have been made to the way that Hogwarts is run. Security-wise, no one is to cross the perimeter fence without permission or security supervision, failure to comply will result in imprisonment or more likely death. All hallways, classrooms and common room and restroom entrances will be monitored via video cameras as well as monitored for use of magic. All common rooms, dormitories and restrooms will be monitored for the use of magic, as such, prefects will no longer be needed. All students with prefecture status have had it revoked."

A storm of murmurs broke out.

"Silence!" The soldier barked, instantly halting all whispers. "Continuing. All students and staff are to keep their issued identification cards with them at all times. The card is the only way for you to gain access to classrooms and your common rooms. Visiting hours and sign up sheets will be posted for students wishing to enter other commons rooms other than their own.

For safety reasons any student found practicing dark magic, or making contact with dark magic users will be removed from the school, all wands will be checked in and out at secure locations before and after classes and, Quidditch has been canceled indefinitely.

Maps of the school and lists of prohibited objects will be provided, along with new school uniforms to all students."

Next to him, Harry could Ron gibbering and sputtering at the announcement of Quidditch being canceled.

'Doesn't bother me,' Harry thought. 'Even if my ban had been lifted I was going to give it up anyway. I've got more important things to deal with.'

SCENCECHANGESCENECHANGE

Azkabaan Auror and Death Eater spy, Louis Heathcliff Bastion barely bit back a scream of pain as his second Dark Mark, hidden beneath his hair, suddenly burned fiercely, signaling that it was time for him to release the Death Eaters that had been captured.

Bastion climbed off the naked, catatonic female prisoner that he had been 'entertaining' himself with, tucked himself back into his robes and cast two quick spells to remove any evidence of his recent 'enjoyment'. 'Not that it matters.' He thought darkly as he kicked the woman hard in the ribs, just for the hell of it.

The cell door banged closed behind Bastion and he strutted down the corridor towards the cells that held the Death Eaters, As he neared Malfoy's cell, Bastion heard a loud ripping, tearing sound and then felt a blast of intense heat wash over him.

SCENCECHANGESCENECHANGE

"Reaper to base, reaper to base do you read? " Rebekah Madison said into the radio microphone attached to her flight helmet.

"Base to Reaper, we read you loud and clear."

"Target Rock one has been destroyed. Mission complete. Returning to base."

"Good work, Reaper. See you at home."

Madison swung her F/A 35 jet around and flew back in the direction she had come from, leaving the decimated, flaming island prison of Azkabaan behind.